Phlegmy
/ˈflɛɡ.mi/noun
Full of or resembling phlegm; slimy, mucus-filled, or congested.
Did you know?Phlegm ultimately comes from Greek *phlegma*, “flame” or “inflammation,” because ancient medicine linked bodily fluids to fiery disease states before the word shifted into mucus.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phlégma (φλέγμα)
“flame, inflammation; later bodily phlegm”
Late Latin
Latin
phlegma
“phlegm, mucus; one of the bodily humors”
Old French
Old French
flegme
“phlegm, mucus”
Middle English
English
flegm / phlegme
“phlegm; thick mucus”
Modern English
English
phlegmy
“having or resembling phlegm; mucous or congested”
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